Skillet Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce 

Lasagna is one of the best inventions ever and if you don't agree I don't think we can be friends. Pasta layered with meat or veggies, something saucy like marinara sauce, bolognese sauce, or béchamel sauce, and plenty of cheese is my jam. And yes, I know lasagna doesn't always have cheese, but in my perfect world, it does. I love me some cheesy lasagna.

What lasagna doesn't have to have for me to go crazy over it is meat. To be clear, I LOVE classic lasagna with Italian Sausage. And Lasagna Bolognese will always be one of my favorite meals. Also this seems a good time to mention that Asian Short Rib Lasagna is a slam dunk if you want to seriously impress your dinner guests.

But, I also adore meatless Lasagna Béchamel with Mushroom Ragu and THIS incredibly delicious skillet vegetable lasagna with white sauce is the very definition of hearty and satisfying. Instead of meat, this vegetarian lasagna is packed with a whole host of veggies + walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes all layered up in a cast iron pan with creamy béchamel sauce and plenty of cheese.

It's cozy and nourishing, and all kinds of comforting. And, I want to put your fears about soggy, watery vegetables to rest right now. If you're used to meaty lasagna, I promise you won't find this vegetable lasagna lacking in any way.

Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe

This skillet vegetable lasagna is PACKED with all the good things you'd expect in a warm and satisfying pan of cheesy-pasta-and-veggie-goodness.

• For the Parmesan Béchamel White Sauce: All purpose flour, butter, whole milk or half & half, salt and pepper, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and Italian parsley.
• Oven ready lasagna noodles OR fresh homemade pasta. Oven ready lasagna noodles are easier than noodles you have to boil before using AND have the best flavor and consistency after baking. I like Barilla Oven Ready lasagna noodles. But when I have time, there's nothing better than fresh homemade pasta. This recipe for fresh pasta makes the perfect amount of dough for this vegetable lasagna if you roll it to a #5 thickness.
• Vegetables: mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, an onion, and a few cloves of garlic.
• Walnuts. This is a 100% optional ingredient. Finely chopped walnuts add texture to the filling for this vegetable lasagna creating a meaty texture without any actual meat. (By the way, I used this same trick to make this super delicious Vegan Taco Meat. 👏) But, this lasagna is perfectly delicious without walnuts so if you'd rather leave them out, please do.
• Cheese! Use a classic combination of mozzarella and parmesan or any other kind of grated cheese you like. Fontina and gruyere are delicious options, as are Romano and provolone. And, Ricotta cheese adds an incredibly satisfying creaminess to this vegetarian lasagna.
• A Lemon. Lemon juice brightens the flavor of the vegetables in this lasagna and adds some extra acidity which helps balance the richness of the cheese and béchamel sauce.
• An egg. Mixing an egg into the ricotta cheese layer helps bind the cheese so it doesn't smoosh out when you cut and serve the lasagna.
• Italian seasoning. Any brand of dried Italian seasoning will do.
• Italian parsley. Also known as flat leaf parsley.

Variations and Substitutions

As with most layered casseroles, this vegetable lasagna recipe can be varied in whatever way suits your fancy. Here are a few suggestions:

• Use other kinds of fresh or dried herbs instead of, or in addition to, Italian seasoning and parsley. Fresh basil, thyme, oregano, and sage are all delicious additions to Béchamel sauce and can be sprinkled over the top of this lasagna after baking for a pop of fresh flavor. Likewise, add different dried herbs to the ricotta layer instead of (or in addition to) Italian seasoning.
• Use any kind of cheese you like to make lasagna. Stick with the classic combo of mozzarella and parmesan or switch it up with something else. Gruyere, fontina, and provolone are great additions. But also consider tossing in a few blue cheese or feta crumbles. And, while it's not often used in lasagna, white cheddar adds a delicious sharp punch of flavor that's great when mixed with a mild cheese like mozzarella.
• Toss in some other vegetables! Chop up some broccoli and toss it in with the cauliflower (or instead of the cauliflower). Add some chopped lightly cooked asparagus to the mushrooms, peppers, and sun dried tomatoes. Or, use summer squash instead of or in addition to zucchini. Other delicious additions include chopped olives, thinly sliced radishes, and minced carrots.

Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions

Cook sliced mushrooms in butter and olive oil until they are golden brown and caramelized.

Scrape the mushrooms into a bowl and add some chopped roasted red bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. Set this mixture aside.

Wipe out the skillet and add some more olive oil.

Pulse cauliflower, zucchini, garlic, onion, and walnuts, in a food processor until the mixture is very finely chopped. (You may need to do this in batches or one veggie at a time, especially if you have a small food processor.)

Dump the veggies into the skillet along with some Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Let the veggies cook for 12-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are soft and just barely starting to brown.

Scrape the vegetables into a bowl, stir in some lemon juice, and set aside.

Follow this recipe to make some Parmesan Béchamel Sauce.

Pour the béchamel white sauce over the cooked, minced vegetables and stir to coat.

Add ricotta cheese, an egg, and some Italian seasoning to a bowl and stir to mix.

Wipe out the skillet and coat the bottom and sides of the pan with some olive oil.

Time to build the lasagna, layer by layer, in the cast iron pan. Here's how:

1. Spread about ½ cup of the white sauce and vegetable mixture over the bottom of the skillet.
2. Line the bottom of the skillet with noodles.
3. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.
4. Spread half of the mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes over the ricotta cheese.
5. Spread a third of the grated mozzarella and parmesan over the mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes.
6. Spread 1 ½ cups of the vegetables and white sauce over the cheese.
7. Add another layer of noodles.
8. Spread the noodles with the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture.
9. Spread the ricotta cheese with the rest of the mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes.
10. Sprinkle another third of the grated mozzarella and parmesan over the veggies.
11. Spread another 1 ½ cups of the vegetables and white sauce over the cheese.
12. Add a final layer of noodles.

Smear the noodles with the rest of the vegetables and white sauce and sprinkle the top with the rest of the grated mozzarella and parmesan. Now just pop it in the oven and let it bake until all that cheese is melted and its bubbly around the edges. Sprinkle it with some fresh parsley if you like and dive in!

Pro Tip! Check on the lasagna after it's been in the oven for 30 or 40 minutes. If the cheese on top is getting too brown, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. Smear the foil with olive oil or spray it with non-stick baking spray to prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese and then lay it loosely over the top of the lasagna.

Equipment

This recipe is designed for an 11-inch or larger cast iron skillet. The lasagna can be baked in a smaller skillet, but you will have some ingredients left over. Baking lasagna in a cast iron pan makes this a one-pan meal in which you cook the veggies in the same pan you bake the lasagna in.

Cast iron also perfect for lasagna because it provides even, steady heat as it bakes. And because cast iron is great at retaining heat it will help keep the lasagna warm for quite some time after its been removed from the oven.

But, if you prefer, you can also bake this lasagna in a 9x13 rectangle baking dish.

The other super helpful piece of equipment for making vegetable lasagna is a food processor. Most of the vegetables in this recipe are blitzed in a food processor along with chopped walnuts to create a mixture that is meaty and not even close to watery. While you could chop all those veggies by hand into very tiny pieces, a food processor makes super quick work of this task.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

If you want to make this vegetarian lasagan in advance, layer everything up in the skillet, cover it with a piece of greased aluminum foil (brush it with some olive oil or spray it with non-stick baking spray), and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

You can also make all the components for this lasagan in advance and then, when you're ready to bake it, layer everything up in your cast iron skillet and pop it in the oven.

• The white sauce for this lasagna (parmesan béchamel) can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. OR, prepare the entire mixture of chopped veggies coated in béchamel sauce (steps 2-5 in the recipe) and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• The mushrooms for this lasagna can also be cooked in advance. Add them to a covered container along with the chopped roasted red peppers and sun dried tomatoes and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Once baked, vegetable lasagna will keep well for up to 4 days. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. I recommend removing leftover lasagna from the cast iron pan and storing it in a different container, plate, or dish. Storing food in cast iron can cause the food to take on a metallic flavor.

Reheat leftover lasagna in a microwave or in a preheated 350 degree oven.

If you use whole milk instead of half and half to make the parmesan béchamel, this vegetable lasagna can be frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in a casserole dish, not in a cast iron pan. Allow the lasagna to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then follow these instructions for the best way to reheat lasagna.

What to Serve with Vegetarian Lasagna

This is a hearty dish that can hold its own. But, if you want to serve it with a side dish or two, a light and flavorful salad is your best bet. Israeli Salad is my go-to side dish for pretty much anything because it goes well with literally everything.

I also love to serve this lasagna with a plate of simple roasted beets, dressed up with nothing more than olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a handful of fresh herbs.

Roasted carrots and dates is a super quick and easy side dish that goes really well with a plate of vegetable lasagna. It's also kind of pretty and fancy looking making it a great choice for dinner parties or any other special occasion.

And, while it may not be the first thing that comes to mind, jicama salad with apples is light and refreshing and makes a delicious counterpoint to hearty, cheesy lasagna.

AND let's not forget dessert, shall we? Take those Italian flavors straight through to dessert with a Cannoli Napoleon or Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Pastry Cream.